1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the set up of aerial cams in presses for forming sheet metal.
2. Background Art
Aerial cams such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,884,521; 5,487,296; 5,101,705 and 5,231,907 have been used for several years in sheet metal stamping operations to facilitate what might be termed secondary operations such as piercing holes, or the deformation of the metal panel (the workpiece) in a fashion that could not be performed by the action of the main dies in the press. The tools which perform such secondary operations are mounted on what is termed a slide, or tool holder, suspended from a cam adapter which is mounted on the upper shoe of the die set. As the upper shoe descends, the slide is carried downwardly and against a driver fastened to the lower die shoe of the press. The angles between the contacting faces of the slide, cam adapter and driver are such that the tool holder is shifted laterally relative to the movement of the press shoes or platens, to carry its tools toward and from the sheet metal being formed. As the upper shoe rises with the opening of the press, the cam adapter causes the slide to shift in the opposite direction to extract its tooling from the sheet metal being formed. Thus, the slide moves to and fro as the upper and lower dies of the press move into and out of the die work area.
Of course it is necessary to adjust the position of the tools on the slide so that they effect the desired secondary operation on the sheet metal being formed in the press. The problem is to effect the necessary adjustment despite the obstruction of the die work area by the press dies.
Heretofore the adjustment has been effected by a trial and error method, i.e., opening the press, adjusting the tools on the slide, closing the press on a workpiece, opening it, checking the action of the tools on the work piece, then readjusting the tools on the slide to correct their action on the workpiece, and closing the press again on another workpiece and then reopening it, and continuing this procedure until the tool position on the slide was acceptable. This trial and error method of adjusting the tools on the slide could take many hours of time by several tool and die operators and inflate the cost of setting up the press. Thus, there has been a long felt need for a method to quickly adjust the tools on the slide or tool holder without the time consuming trial and error method of the prior art.